Stalker
The Stalker is a midsized Combat Class Machine. Unlike other Combat Class Machines, which employ direct, open aggression, Stalkers employ attacks by stealth. Coupled with the fact that they are mostly found in jungle environments, in which Combat is in itself challenging, this makes Stalkers highly dangerous. Appearance Unlike other midsized Combat Class Machines such as Sawtooths and Ravagers, a Stalker's armor plating is black, and is composed of relatively small hexagonal plates that fit together in a chainmail pattern, rather than large, fitted pieces. Also, unlike these Combat Class Machines, a Stalker's build is sleek, like the body of a leopard. Stalkers have a set of three visual sensors on each side of the head, arranged in a triangular configuration. Each of a Stalker's four paws is equipped with three claws. Atop its back, at the base of its long, slender neck and between its shoulders, is a dart gun. On each hip is a mine launcher that drops proximity mines. A power cell is atop its lower back, to which four long, antenna-like structures are attached. The Machine has a retractable tail that is almost twice as long as its body, equipped with a sharp spike at the tip. Abilities A Stalker will, by default, employ attacks of the type for it was built: ambush. Its principal means of doing so is its cloaking device, called a stealth generator. A human sees an object via light rays striking and being reflectec off the object. These reflected rays enter the human's eyes, which send nerve impulses to the brain. The brain interprets these signals as the seeing of the object. A stalker's stealth generator prevents light rays from striking the Stalker's body, instead bending them around and past its body, so that they do not enter the human's eyes to form an image. This effectively renders the Stalker invisible, allowing it to easily stalk the human unseen. Frequently the Stalker will set itself on the side of a vertical surface, above the ground, after having placed alarms in its vicinity. These alarms are tripped by the motion of a human moving near them, alerting the Stalker to the human's presence. The Stalker will then engage its stealth generator and silently drop to the ground, acquire the human's position, and begin doing what it's name implies: stalk the human. From a short distance, it will shoot the human with its dart gun while cloaked, killing him/her. This stalking and short-range ambush sniping is so effective that any human without considerable experience in hunting and warfare is invariably shot to death, without having any prior warning. Furthermore, in addition to masking the Stalker from being seen, the stealth generator produces a field when engaged that prevents Focus scanning, making it invisible to Focusses as well. The human's demise is even more certain if there are a number of Stalkers working together as a pack. However, the stealth generator is not perfect. Though it renders the Stalker invisible to sight and Focus scanning, it also produces a visible refractory effect around the Stalker's body. This effect can be seen by a sharp-eyed, alert hunter. With skill and experience, the hunter can therefore detect the Stalker despite its stealth generator and attack first, forcing the Stalker to engage in open direct conflict. However, Stalkers are fully able to engage in melee attacks as well as ambush, charging at and swiping with their claws and the spikes on their tails. Furthermore, in open, direct conflict, Stalkers randomly place proximity mines on the ground. These mines detonate when the human comes within a certain range, damaging him/her should she attempt to escape or move to another position. Weaknesses Stalkers are highly susceptible to shock. Ammunition such as shock arrows from a War Bow, shock bombs from a Sling, or shock lines from a Tripcaster, stun a Stalker much faster than other Machines. Tactics It is highly recommended that the player acquire the Stalker before it aquires Aloy. After triggering one of its alarms, the player should immediately hide in the nearest Stealth grass and look for the Stalker as it prowls, attempting to find Aloy. Since it will likely be cloaked, the player should be look for the refractory effect that outlines the Stalker's body as it moves. Readying a shock weapon, the player should lure the Stalker close with a lure call, then shoot it when it gets close, or lay a shock wire in its path that it will walk into as it approaches. Once it is stunned, the player can attack it with a Critical Hit, causing significant damage, When it recovers, the player can immediately stun it again with another shock weapon and attack with another Critical Hit. Use of Sylens' Lance, which is itself a shock weapon, allows continued stunning while attacking with Critical Hits. Components Loot Gallery Category:Machines